Tape reel



March 21, 1939. N. A. MATTSSON ET AL 2,151,130

TAPE REEL Filed Jan. 8, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,9 7 To/eA/Efs Mam 21,1939. N. s. A. MATTSSON ET AL 2,151,130

TAPE REEL Filed Jan.

8, 1936 3 Sheet's-Sheet 2 a Z M N 57L 0 v .1 M 17 4 Z. SL Ev, K

March 21, 1939.

Fig. 5

N. s. A. MATTSSON ET AL 2,151,130

TAPE REEL Filed Jan. 8, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet Patented Mar. 21, 1939PATENT OFFICE TAPE REEL Nils Salomon Albert Mattsson and Karl ErikDahlqvist, Kvitsleby, Sweden Application January 8, 1936, Serial No.58,042 1 In Sweden January 10, 1935 I 1 Claim.

Tape-reels hitherto known have some drawbacks, of which may be mentionedthat a person while measuring, after the tape has been stretched out,must hold on to the inner end of 5 the tape with one hand, while holdingthe tapereel with the other hand, so that consequently both hands areoccupied by the measuring.

According to the present invention this is avoided in that the tape-reelis rotatably mounted in a retaining-frame enclosing the same, at theupper end of which a handle is jointed, which is provided with a brakearrangement co-operating with the reel. This may for instance consist ofa pawl attached to the handle, and arranged to co-operate with aratchet-wheel, at-

tached to the reel, or the brake arrangement may consist of a brake shoeattached to the handle, and arranged to co-operate with the reel.

The advantage is hereby gained, that a person can handle the tape-reelwith one hand only, as one only has to move the handle forwards and.downwardsin order to brake the reel.

Another inconvenience, which is inherent in the tape-reels hithertoknown, is that one has to use abnormally large watch-springs for therolling up of the tapes, for which reason only short tapes can be used,which is an inconvenience, for measuring of timber, where a great lengthof the tape is needed.

According to the present invention this inconvenience will be avoided inthat the retainingframe by way of the watch-spring is connected with thereel through a gear arrangement, whereby one, by means of a very shortspring, can

5 use a considerable length of tape, the unrolling of the tape at thesame time being done very easily, and in such a manner, that thearrangement will work smoothly and pleasantly.

According to one form of the invention, one

40. end of the watch-spring is attached to the reel and the other end ofthe same to a pinion, rotatably arranged in the reel, which pinionengages a gear rotatably arranged in the reel, which gear in its turnengages a gear, which is at- 45 tached to the retaining-frame.

The retaining-frame may also be rotatably arranged in relation to thegear and the latter attached to one or several arms rotatably arrangedin relation to the retaining-frame, the movement 50 of which is limitedby the retaining-frame.

One of the arms may be provided with a projection which may bereadjusted in relation to the retaining-frame and, by means of which thebraking effect may be regulated.

55 In order to prevent the watch-spring from breaking by too rapidunrolling of the tape, the inner end of the watch-spring is connectedwith the gear by means of a catch arrangement, which actuates the springonly by motion in one direction. 5

To prevent the tape from being torn apart by unrolling, the inner end ofthe tape is fixed to the reel by means of a bowlike spring enclosing thesame, and which spring by violent pulling of the tape will be releasedat its inner end. 10

- A locking device is slidably or dropably attached to the handle inorder that the same when necessary may be locked in braking positionrelatively the tape-reel.

Some forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 shows a tape-reel in side elevation.

Figure 1a shows this tape-reel in section.

Figure 2 is a side view of a somewhat different tape-reel. 20

Figure 2a shows the tape-reel of Figure 2 in section;

Figure 3 shows another tape-reel in side elevation;

Figure 4 shows a portion of the tape-reel illustrated in Figure 3 in adifferent position;

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 illustrate various parts 30 of the tape-reelshown in Figure 3.

Like reference numerals mark the same parts in the figures of thedrawings. In Figure 1, l indicates the tape-reel, 2 the frame and 3 isthe handle. 5

The tape-reel shown in Figure 1 comprises also a shaft 4, which isrotatably mounted in the frame 2. The reel I is rotatably mounted on theshaft 4.

The handle 3 is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 5 carried by the upperend of the frame 2, the movement of the handle 3 relatively to the frame2 being limited by the upper end of the latter. A pawl 6 is attached tothe handle 3 and is situated in front of the frame 2. When the frontpart of the handle 3 is lowered and is brought into the position shownby broken lines in Figure l, the pawl 6 will be brought into engagementwith the teeth of a ratchet wheel I.

A tapered key 8 is attached to the lower side of the handle 3. The key 8may be moved relatively to the handle 3 and is used for locking thehandle in its lowered position. The key 8 locks the handle by projectingbetween the frame 2 and the handle 3.

The tape may be wound upon the reel I by any suitable means.

The device shown in Figure 2 comprises a tape-reel I, rotatably mountedupon a shaft 4a, which is carried by a frame 2a. The frame 2a ispivotally connected by means of the pivot 5a with the handle 3a. Alocking device 80. is carried by the handle 3a. Instead of the pawlshown in Figure l, the handle 3a carries a brake shoe 9, which isadapted to engage a surface of the reel I. A bolt I extends through theframe 211 and is used for limiting the movement of the handle 3arelatively to the frame 2a.

The tape-reel shown in. Figures 3 to 9 comprises a reel I carried by aframe 2b, which is connected by means of the pivot b with the handle 31)carrying a locking device 81). The frame 217 carries a bolt Iflb usedfor limiting the movement of the handle 32).

This tape reel is provided with three arms II, I2, and I3. The arm II isused for holding one end of the tape when the latter is fully rolled up.The arm 12 is used for limiting the rearward movement of the frame 2b.The arm I3 carries a rotatable projection I4 and is used for limitingthe forward movement of the frame 2b. The rotatable projection I4 isused for regulating the braking action of the brake shoe carried by thehandle 3b. 7

As shown in Figures 5 to 9, a shaft I 5 is mounted in the frame 2b andis provided with a bushing I6. A wheel I8 having inner teeth I! isrotatably mounted on the bushing IS. The teeth I! of the wheel I8 engagethe teeth of a pinion I9, which is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 20carried by the tape-reel casing 2| of the tapereel I.

The teeth of the pinion l9 also mesh with the teeth of another pinion 22carried by a 40 square, hollow shaft 23. Due to this arrangement, thepinion 22 is rotatable with the arms H, I2, and !3. However, the pinion22 isrotatable relatively to the bushing I6 upon which it is mounted.

The inner end of a coil spring 24, which is similar to that of a watch,is connected with the wheel I8 by means of a heel or member 25, as shownin Figures '7, 8, and 9. The heel 25 when rotated in a predetermineddirection engages the rearwardly bent inner end of the coil spring 24.

However, the heel 25 releases: the spring 24 when it is rotated in theopposite direction.

The outer end of the spring 24 is connected with the tape-reel casing 2Iby means of a screw 55' 26. The tape-reel l with its casing 2I isrotatably mounted on the wheel I8 and the hollow shaft 23 of the pinion22.

The operator uses the device by holding the handle 31) and unrolling thetape from the reel. By a suitable inclination of the handle 3?), thebrake shoe 9b can be brought into engagement with the edge of thetape-reel I for braking the same, this braking action being adjustableby means of the projection I4.

The inner end of the tape 21 is held upon the tape-reel casing 2| bymeans of a bow-like spring 28. When the tape is unrolled, the tape-reelI is rotated. The pinion 22, however, which is connected with the armsII, I2, and i3, is held in place when the projection I4 engages theframe 212. Therefore, the pinion I9 will rotate the innergear wheel 1?.The spring 24 is thereby adjusted in accordance with the ratio of thegear wheels.

sired length, the handle 3b is tilted forward and then the brake shoe 9engages the edge of the reel I, causing the tape-reel to stop. When itis desired to roll up the tape, the handle is tilted backward. Then thetape-reel is released 5 and the tape can be rolled on by the coil spring24.

In the construction shown in Figure 3, the spring is of such length thatwhen the outer end of the tape, which is provided with a ring, is 10 Thebolt at the end of the arms I2 is then adapted to prevent the rearwardmovement of the frame 21). further than up to the arms I2.

When the tape is pulled out, there is a rotation in the. oppositedirection and the bolt at the end of the arms I3 is stopped by thehandle 31), which is pivotally mounted in the frame 2b.

The bolt situated at the end of the arms I3 prevents the handle with itsbrake-shoe from folding down on the reel on account of the springtension, thereby causing the bolt at the end of the arms I3 to pressagainst the handle 3b. However, when the free end of the flexible handleis depressed, the arm I3. will be displaced and the brake-shoe willpress against the wheel as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The arms II are used as a stop for the free end of the tape, and theyare also used as guides to prevent the shifting of the tape uponthereel.

As far as the slidable wedge-shaped device 81) is concerned, this deviceis caused to slide forward by the locking of the reel, whereby a greaterspace is provided between the bolt I02) and the handle 3. The arms I3are then moved outwardly and the front part of the handle is lowered sothat the brake-shoe is pressed against the reel and prevents itsrotation.

The pinion 22 is provided with a square portion Moo-operating with asquare hole formed in the plate carrying the arms Il, I2, and I3 and isrotatably mounted upon the shaft I5 shown in Figure 5 and correspondingto the shafts 4 and 4a shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In the construction shown in Figure 3, the arms II, I2, and I3 are fixedon one side to the square portion 23, so that the tension of the springis transmitted to them, thus causing the bolt at one end of the arms I3to rest against the handle 3. The other side of the arms is rotatablymounted on the shaft I5.

The frame 2b is rotatably mounted on both sides uponv this shaft, thuscausing the arms I3 to press against the handle 3b when the end of thetape rests against the bolt carried by the outer ends of the arms II.

The constructions shown in Figures 1 and are substantially similar, withthe exception that in these constructions one side of the frame is fixedto the square portion which is connected to the pinion 22, while theother side is rotat- 65' ably mounted upon the shaft.

It is obvious, that the invention may be varied in many respects,without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

A tape-reel, comprising a handle, a frame, said handle being pivotallymounted upon said frame and being rotatable relatively thereto, brakingmeans firmly connected with said handle, a reel n having means engagedby said braking means frame, said handle resting against said arm duringthe unrolling of the tape, whereby said handle is prevented from movinginto the braking position by the increased tension of said spring.

NILS SALOMON ALBERT MATTSSON. KARL ERIK DAHLQVIST.

